Add 1-month vegan challenge to New Year's resolution list

There have been years when by the third day of January, my resolutions have already fallen by the wayside. Often, that's when they're wiggly: promises to be more patient, be nicer. That hasn't stopped me from vowing to be more patient, but I am mindful of how hard it is to judge what, exactly, is "more" patient.

With that in my thoughts, I've decided on one concrete plan. I will eat vegan for the month of January. I am totally in love with my morning yogurt, and I haven't even been a vegetarian. I have no fondness for faux meats. So this won't be easy. But it's just 31 days. And I'm going to give it a good shot; they say after a month, habits and perhaps taste buds will be altered.

At the risk of distressing animal lovers everywhere, it's not an ethical decision, although I signed up for the email nudges and advice from a British-based project called veganuary.com, which has support from many animal rights groups. And I don't expect to remain vegan come February. But maybe like being nice, I will be "more" vegan. I think I might feel healthier with a more produce-heavy diet. And I'm curious. I also admit this is a project much more appetizingly accomplished in a Southern California winter than in a northern Minnesota one.